Stars make voices heard at Vax Live
Prince Harry urged for COVID-19 vaccine distribution everywhere and Jennifer Lopez embraced her fully vaccinated mother on stage during one of the largest concert gatherings in California since the pandemic rocked the world over a year ago.
Celebrities and political leaders gathered Sunday to talk about the importance of vaccine equity at Global Citizen’s “Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World” at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The taped fundraising event will air Saturday on ABC, ABC News Live, CBS, YouTube and iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations.
The concert included performances by Lopez, Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, J Balvin and H.E.R.
Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, Jimmy Kimmel, Sean Penn and David Letterman appeared as special guest speakers.
Everyone in the audience was fully vaccinated. Media and production staff needed to show a negative COVID-19 test before entering the stadium.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden appeared in a video message as part of the “We Can Do This” initiative to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.
Global Citizen said $53.8 million in philanthropic and corporate commitments helped procure nearly 10.3 million doses, exceeding the goal for the Vax Live campaign.
The event also highlighted first responders and health care workers efforts during the pandemic. Selena Gomez, the show’s host, called essential and front-line workers “reliable” and “brave.”
“Many of us had to stay home, but you all didn’t have a choice,” the singer said. “You set an example for all of us, both in how you stayed on the job and
that we need to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Eilish, Chalamet headline fall Met Gala:
When the Met Gala returns in September, it will feature a heavy-hitting contingent of celebrity co-chairs: Actor Timothee Chalamet, musician Billie Eilish, poet Amanda Gorman and tennis star Naomi Osaka. Honorary chairs for the evening will be designer Tom Ford, sponsor Instagram’s Adam Mosseri and Vogue’s Anna Wintour, according to an announcement from the museum Monday.
Moore working on new prose:
Alan Moore, the celebrated British author known for “V for Vendetta” and “Watchmen,” has a deal with Bloomsbury for the story collection “Illuminations” and a five-volume fantasy series, “Long London.” In a statement
Monday, Moore said he was “bursting with fiction, bursting with prose” and thanked his publisher for its commitment to “expanding the empire of the word.” Moore’s “Illuminations,” slated for fall 2022, takes in everything from ghosts to the big bang theory. “Long London,” with the first volume due in 2024, follows a “sometimes-accessible shadow city that is beyond time,” starting with London after World War II, according to Bloomsbury.
May 4 birthdays: Bassist Ron Carter is 84. Actor Richard Jenkins is 74. Singer Jackie Jackson is 70. Singer Oleta Adams is 68. Singer Randy Travis is 62. Comedian Ana Gasteyer is 54. Actor Will Arnett is 51. TV personality Kimora Lee Simmons is 46. TV personality Erin Andrews is 43. Rapper Jidenna is 36. Singer RaeLynn is 27.